UAB Department of Music announces spring 2014 calendar of events

From free student and faculty recitals and performances to guest artist recitals, master classes, symposiums and more, UAB Music has much to offer the community.

The University of Alabama at BirminghamDepartment of Music will present dozens of events for the 2014 spring semester. From free student and faculty recitals and free performances by ensembles and symphonies to guest artist recitals, master classes, symposiums and more, this year UAB Music has much to offer the university and the community.

The UAB Piano Series will include performances by Valery Kuleshov on Sunday, Jan. 12, and Robert Henry on Sunday, March 9; call 205-975-2787 for UAB Piano Series tickets. On Sunday, March 16, the department will present a fundraiser, Music Extravaganza, which will feature UAB bands, choirs, ensembles and soloists, in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. The UAB Gospel Choir will present for its spring concert “Gospel Anthology III: Evolution,” the third and final installment of the “Anthology” series from the UAB Gospel Choir, on Monday, April 14.

UAB Piano Series concert featuring Valery Kuleshov, 4 p.m., in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. Kuleshov made his concert debut with a symphony orchestra in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory at the age of 9. Kuleshov’s first major international success was at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy in 1987, where he was awarded second place and received the gold medal along with the first-place winner. In his North American debut at the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993, Kuleshov was awarded the silver medal and the prize for Best Performance of a Commissioned Work for his performance of “Ghost Waltzes” by American composer Morton Gould. Kuleshov’s performing art is based on the best Russian piano traditions. His sensitive interpretations, virtuostic technique, glittering bravura and passion for the music have earned him the name “Russian Virtuoso of the Romantic Piano.” His spectacular career has included performances in the best concert halls in Russia as well as in Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. Tickets are $15; $5 for UAB students. Call 205-975-2787 for tickets. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Department of Music’s third annual Brass Symposium, in UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall and other campus venues. The Brass Symposium is a two-day event that involves clinics, rehearsals and performances by high school and college-level students. Two free, public performances will be offered. Call 205-934-2265 for more information. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Festival of Brass Concert, 3 p.m., in UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. This program, under the direction of James Zingara, DMA, will feature the UAB Brass Choir, ensembles and several honors brass ensembles made up of area high school students. The event will conclude with a spectacular mass finale with more than 100 performers. Free admission; limited seating. Call 205-934-7376. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 (rescheduled to April 3, 2014)

UAB Faculty Recital featuring Gene Fambrough

CANCELED: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014

UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band concert planned for 3 p.m. has been canceled. It will be rescheduled. Call 205-934-7376. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Department of Music presents the 12th annual Clarinet Symposium, in UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall and other campus venues. Call 205-975-0558 for more information. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Piano Series concert featuring Robert Henry, 4 p.m., UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. Henry is an internationally distinguished pianist, winning universal acclaim as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, accompanist and chamber musician. Possessing the rare combination of insight, inspiration and a dazzling technique, his performances have amazed audiences in the U.S., England, Nova Scotia, Russia, Italy and, in 2014, China. Career highlights include 2002 solo debut recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Wigmore Hall, with critics praising his flawless technique. Along with cellist Charae Krueger, he has presented the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven. He is also a founding member of the Summit Piano Trio. According to his biography, Henry has enjoyed phenomenal success in important piano competitions, winning the gold medals in four international piano competitions in the 2001-2002 season alone. Those prizes stand alongside 14 additional first-place awards received throughout his career, including the Clara Wells National Competition. On three occasions, juries have spontaneously created special prizes to honor his performances, including Best Performance of a 20th Century Work and Best Performance of a Commissioned Work. He is a laureate of the 2003 Seiler International Piano Competition in Germany. Tickets are $15; $5 for UAB students. Call 205-975-2787 for tickets. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Choirs in concert, 7 p.m., Southside Baptist Church, 11th Avenue South at 19th Street. Conducted by Brian Kittredge, DMA. This concert is jointly sponsored by the UAB Department of Music and the Birmingham Art Music Alliance. Tickets are $8; $5 for all students. Call 205-975-2599 for ticket information. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band in concert, 3 p.m. in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Jemison Concert Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. Conducted by Sue Samuels, Ph.D. Guest high school bands from Homewood and Vestavia Hills High Schools will each perform a short portion of traditional band music and orchestral transcriptions, and then the grand finale will feature all four bands together.. Free. Call 205-934-7376. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Gospel Choir presents “Gospel Anthology III: Evolution,” 7 p.m., in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Jemison Concert Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. This is the third and final installment of the “Anthology” series from the UAB Gospel Choir. With history set to music and dance, the concert will include spot-on re-enactments, audience participation, and a stage setup that mirrors the style of the popular Bill Gaither Homecoming TV show, with the piano and Hammond organ front and center. Local and regional musical icons will join the choir on stage as they perform music from American gospel eras, to include jubilee/spirituals, the “golden age,” freedom songs, contemporary and cross-over to today’s genres and subgenres. Tickets are $7; $5 each for groups of 20 or more, advance purchase required. Call 205-975-2787 for ticket information. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.

UAB Opera Scenes: Born in America, 7:30 p.m., in UAB’s Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South. Directed by Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk. Yes, there is opera that is truly American. UAB Opera Workshop will present scenes from American operas. Ranging from the comic to the tragic, operas represented include Menotti's "The Medium and The Old Maid and the Thief," Moore's "The Ballad of Baby Doe," and Floyd's "Susannah." All music is sung in English. Free. Call 205-934-7376. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.